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Maciej Obara

Obara's bio

About Me

Polish saxophonist and composer Maciej Obara burst onto the international jazz scene after recording “Message from Ohayo” which won the Bielska Zadymka Jazz Contest for young jazz bands in 2006. In 2008 he toured Poland with US saxophonist Antoine Roney and was also recommended by Manfred Eicher (ECM) to Tomasz Stanko, which resulted in their fruitful collaboration on projects such as “Terminal 7” in the National Theatre, the “Tomasz Stańko Special Project” and the “New Balladyna Quartet”.

In 2008 the Maciej Obara Trio released “I can do it”, to enthusiastic reviews and while at the Brooklyn Academy of Music the following year, he formed MaMuGe 3 and recorded “Three” with Harvey Sorgen (drums) and John Lindberg (vocals). During this time he also he invited US musicians Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Mark Helias (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) to join him in the “Obara Special Quartet” which resulted in “Four” – a recording realised at Systemstwo in New York.

Upon his return to Poland, Obara formed a band with pianist Dominik Wania – a musical friendship which began when they were performing with Tomasz Stańko, and their recording “Equilibrium” enriches the raw sound of classical jazz trios and premiered during the Jazztopad Festival in Wrocław.

In 2011 Maciej Obara was nominated for the Fryderyk Jazz Musician of the Year Award and won a scholarship from the Młoda Polska Programme. In 2012 he was chosen to participate in the 12 Points Festival in Portugal with his Polish Quartet and in a showcase in Budapest. He was also selected, alongside countryman Maciej Garbowski, to participate in Take Five: Europe, the professional development scheme produced by Serious in the UK, who also produce the London Jazz Festival. Take Five: Europe brought together some of the most talented emerging jazz musicians from France, Holland, Norway, Poland and the UK and included a week long residential dedicated to musical entrepreneurship and the music business in Europe as well as establishing contacts with other artists and promoters. The programme also included musical development, under the tutelage of baritone saxophonist and composer John Surman, and the formation of a 10-piece ensemble which performed concerts in France (Jazz sous les Pommiers, Countances), the Netherlands (North Sea Jazz Festival), Norway (Molde International Jazz Festival), the UK (London Jazz Festival) and Poland (Jazztopad). During this period Obara established another project with Dominik Wania, which includes the two Norwegian musicians he encountered at Take Five: Europe, Ole Morten Vagan (bass), Gard Nilssen (drums) and their recording “Komeda” has been released in November 2012.